A Night in White
by coldstonepenworks
Summary: (Phoenix AU) And for that one night before all hell broke loose, the Vampire Queen had dreamt of her war-torn savior garbed in the purest of white.


Hey there Petribros, it's me again. It might be another month for us before we explode in glee on Tumblr, but I must admit that I'm very ecstatic. Other than that, I wrote this fic on a whim, as this came to me as an idea while playing BlazBlue and Persona 4.

(I would also like to wish Pendleton Ward a Happy 30th Birthday.)

Anyway, on with the story.

* * *

Though she was quite fond of the night, Marceline the Vampire Queen found it difficult to stay up past the early morning hours of the day. As she made her way to her abode and unlocked the door, she immediately collapsed into the red loveseat in her living room. It had been a long day for her, for she had hung out with the adventurous duo of Finn and Jake for the duration of the evening, strumming her bass guitar as the teenage boy jittered about to her tunes. It was only when Marceline started to hum a melancholic ditty to herself did Finn ask what was going on with her. "Marcy, what's wrong?" the boy asked of her.

"It always feels like there's something missing in my life; like there's someone out there waiting for me," she replied.

It was Jake who answered her. "Y'know, I've heard that sometimes the person you miss a whole bunch appears to you in your dreams. I've had my parents and Jermaine show up a couple of times."

Jake's words had piqued Marceline's interest then: _perhaps if she thought about before she went off into dreamland, then maybe…_

Her fingernails dug into the cushion of the couch, with her poodle Schwabl looking at her from below. _C'mon Marcy, think. Who is it that you miss more than anything?_ Suddenly, a memory came to her - it was of a distinct aroma she remembered her _missing one_ wearing on their person. It was that of cologne: a spicy, yet deep aroma of aging wood and musk. It reminded Marceline of the season of Autumn, and it had befitted the person who wore it perfectly.

So it was a **man** that Marceline was searching for. _I should've known it was a guy,_ she murmured into the pillow. A few moments had passed before she decided to take a shower, and retire for the night; she was exhausted, and eagerly awaited the descent into dreamland.

After she finished up her business in the washroom, she rung out her hair with a towel, and proceeded to blow dry, but not before another memory came to her. It was of hair - the softest and waviest Marceline had ever known, and if she recalled correctly, it was of a dark color too.

_Alright, off to bed with me. Glob, I hope what Jake says is true…_

And so Marceline made a beeline for her bed, with her hovering over the headboard, not making much use of the mattress provided to her. _Why am I getting the feeling that I'll be using it soon? No, get it together Marcy; you're not in love with anyone…are you?_

* * *

_And as she dreamt off into slumber, she repeated that very same question over and over._

It had been a field of beautiful forget-me-not that Marceline awoke in. As she pulled herself upright to her feet, she noticed that a bustling town could be seen in the distance. It looked very much like the place she and her family lived in, before…

Making her way towards the town in a dreamy daze, a wind whipped past the Vampire Queen, making her hair splay against the breeze. This blinded her, and as she pulled away the strands of midnight black, a figure appeared before her.

This person was unlike anyone Marceline had met: he was covered head-to-toe in shining white armor, and a blade of silver could be seen at his side. A darkened blue cape with a strange insignia of a circle embroidered into it fluttered about in the air, but it did not disturb its wearer. Marceline was instantly frozen by the sudden appearance of this somebody, and it wasn't until she stepped forward that the knight greeted her in a bow, with a hand gripped on his blade.

"_**I have waited for you, Marceline Abadeer. It has been far too long since I saw you last."**_

"How d'you know who I am?" She demanded an answer from the knight.

"_**You and I have known each other for a very long time. A millennium, if I am not mistaken. I have stood as both your greatest protector and friend ever since I met you."**_

"But how do I know _you_? I'm not exactly acquainted with guys in armor…" She chuckled.

The knight laughed heartily himself. _**"This is the form that you have chosen to see me as, for you cannot remember my true face. Even I have forgotten who I am…"**_ The knight's voice, which was one that exuded intelligence, was now full of melancholy and regret. _**"It is up to you to remember, Marceline. Only then will I rediscover my true self, and be rid of this encumbering armor once and for all."**_

Marceline finally stepped toward her knight in white, her lips pursed as if to ask another question of him. "Hey," she paused midway, thinking of her question, "If you take off your helmet, could I try to remember what you look like?" The knight looked down at her, though his stature and height were only a tad different from the Vampire Queen's._**"I can try, but what you might see could disturb you,"**_ was his only answer.

He kneeled before Marceline once more, with his gauntlets gripping the sides of his helmet. With a firm 'pop', the helmet was cast aside, and what Marceline saw shocked her.

"_I-It's…__**you**__,"_ she sobbed, finally remembering the face of her savior, "but why can't I remember your name? I should know it…"

The knight placed a covered hand to Marceline's cheek, as to catch the tears falling from her face. His dark brown eyes studied her own orbs of blue-green, for he could not stand people crying; it unnerved him greatly. _**"The time will come for me to return to you, and only then will you recall my name. Now, it is time for you to awaken, Marceline, but know this: I am closer than you imagine. Who knows - perhaps I am among your friends in Ooo, and you would never know it."**_

"Y-you exist in Ooo? But…who are you? Why can't I see you?!" She cried.

As he started to fade, the knight continued to gaze at her with worry. _**"Please take extra care of yourself, Marceline. I sense that something horrible is bound to happen in the coming days."**_

"No! D-don't go! Don't leave me, please!" Marceline begged of her knight, her hands gripping his gauntlets in an attempt to hold him. It was to no avail, and her knight faded evermore.

"_**Do not fret, my Queen. In spite of what was lost those many years ago, we still found each other, and we can do it again. Please, wait for me; I will return to you as your valiant knight once again, and perhaps one day I will serve alongside you as your King. Goodbye for now, Marceline."**_

And thus the knight faded forever from her view. More tears started to stream down the vampire's face as she was brought to her knees. The bright flowers around her stood as a testament to the most hidden of her emotions, and she took a fistful of them in protest, but never did she mean to bring about harm to them. As she loosened the hold on the stems, they scattered into the air; the breeze taking them along with it.

**I'll remember you**, she promised her knight with her faith restored. Once again, she brought herself to her feet, and started toward the town, but not before she gazed back at the spot where her knight had stood.

_I love you, S-_

* * *

Marceline woke up in a daze to find her bed a mess: the sheets tangled every which way, and the pillows were located off to the side. She sat upright, with fresh tears stinging her eyes and sobs starting to wrack her body. Schwabl pawed at her, as if he was asking what was wrong; she then took the poodle into her arms and hover a bit off the bed, pondering what her knight had meant. If what he said was true, then he did exist in the Land of Ooo, and he was waiting for Marceline to redeem him from his life bound in those shackles.

"It might take some time, but I swear I'll find you," Marceline murmured as she landed upon the flooring below her. "_It probably won't be today, or tomorrow, but I know that we'll find each other, somehow."_

With a newfound goal in her heart she dialed up her old friend, the Ice King, to see if anything was happening with him. The zany old man, though he a predilection for female royalty and magic grimoires, was found to be an excellent musician and teacher to her standards, and was even extremely friendly towards the Vampire Queen. The phone rang a couple of times, but finally she was able to patch through; the harsh tone of the wizard's voice rang in her sensitive ears.

"Hey, who's this?" He demanded, sneezing up a storm. "I'm going through a cold right now, so if-"

"_You_, suffering from a cold? C'mon on now, man," said Marceline, "If you're not up for a jam session today, I could always-"

"Marcy, is that you? _Hey girlie!_ I would totally be up for a jam; my drums have been looking unused lately, so yeah…should I come over to your place?"

"Yeah, that sounds cool." She nodded into her cell phone. "You can bring Gunther and your keyboard with you too, if you want."

"Alrighty, I'll be there in a few! Gotta get my drumset in order…" and with a -click- the wizard ended his call. Shoving her cell phone into her pants pocket, Marceline grabbed her bass axe from its rightful position, all ready to wail out some killer tunes, but it wasn't until she slung the guitar over her shoulders did she hear a voice ring in her head.

_**I am closer than you think, Marceline Abadeer.**_

_Wait, what was that?_ The vampire stopped dead in her tracks. Suddenly, a vision of the blue wizard appeared in her mind, but somehow he started to look differently than before…

_Nah, it couldn't be…could it?_ Marceline shrugged the silly thought off of her, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her best friend.

And as the Ice King made his way to the lair of the Vampire Queen, with both penguin and drums in his frail arms, his sneezing fit continued to be a nuisance to him.

"Gunther, _stop._"

"Wenk."

"If you keep fidgeting, I'm gonna drop all my stuff! I know you don't like it when I'm contemplative, but c'mon, Marcy's a pal."

"Wenk."

"Shush! Be on your best behavior, Gunther; Marcy and I are gonna jam something hardcore, and I won't let you ruin it for me!"

The Ice King approached the flamingo pink house, with Gunther protesting underneath his right arm. With a knock, Marceline opened the door to find the wizard at her doorstep, more than eager to make music with his only friend in the Land of Ooo.

"C'mon in, dude. I've been waiting to jam for a while."

And as the immortal wizard made his way into the living room, another image of Marceline's gallant knight appeared before her, with his eyes peering into her own.

_**"Finally, you and I are reunited, and in such a short amount of time."  
**_

_The Vampire Queen froze in her tracks. Her knight was the one and only...  
_

_"Si-Si-mo...n?"  
_

_The Ice King turned to her, his human visage shining through. **"I am thy White Knight, and I am thee true self. I am Simon Petrikov."**  
_


End file.
